DVDs from TCM Shop

OVERVIEW

DVDs from TCM Shop

Brief Synopsis

Teenager Cheryl "Sherry" Williams, a student at the Fernridge School of Music, daydreams of singing with Morton Gould and his orchestra, to whose Carnegie Hall radio show she raptly listens. The next morning, Sherry receives a telegram from her older sister Josephine, who lives in New York. Jo, a Broadway entertainer, states that she will be attending the opening night of Sherry's school musical, of which Sherry is the star. Broadway producer Arthur Hale also attends the show, in hopes of finding a new leading lady for a planned Johann Strauss musical, but Professor Bremond, the dean of the school, warns him that Sherry is only fifteen years old. Backstage, Sherry lies to her sister that Hale praised Jo's work on Broadway, unaware that the producer has never seen nor heard of Jo before. Later, Sherry sneaks to New York with her roommate Molly and discovers that Jo is actually Bubbles Barton, the noted burlesque queen of 42nd Street. Unable to return to Fernridge until the next morning, Sherry goes to Hale for help, and she learns that both Hale and Jeffers, his butler, are fans of Bubbles. Jo is then called to Hale's apartment, and she tells the producer that she works in burlesque in order to pay for Sherry's education. As Jo has a performance in New Jersey that evening, Hale agrees to take care of Sherry until her train leaves for Fernridge. Sherry, however, plots with Molly to attain the starring role in Hale's new show, hoping that this would allow Jo to give up burlesque. Sherry manages to miss her train and instead attends a benefit with Hale. Having dressed up significantly beyond her years, she soon attracts the attention of numerous servicemen, and ends up performing a song with Gould and his orchestra. The orchestra leader is so impressed by Sherry's singing that he offers her a job on his radio show. Jo then arrives at the benefit and accuses Hale of deceiving her about his intentions toward Sherry. Learning that Jo is Sherry's sister, Gould's sponsor rescinds his offer to Sherry, afraid that being associated with a burlesque performer will injure his company. Later, Sherry calls Hale to tell him that she is still in New York, having come down with the measles, and that Jo has quit burlesque. Knowing that Hale is having problems with his new show, Sherry and Molly secretly record Jo singing Strauss in an upbeat style. Sherry then goes to Hale and forces the producer to listen to the phonograph recording. He is so impressed that both Sherry and Jo end up starring in the producer's musical, "Mr. Strauss Goes to Town." At the end of the show's opening night, Jo tells Sherry that Hale has proposed to her and she has decided to accept.